Not How I Wanted To Find Out
by Reyna Sea Flame
Summary: Chat Noir has always dreamed about seeing the face of 'His Lady' without her mask. He's spent countless hours stalking the Ladyblog, but nothing ever comes up. His chance to see the truth finally comes when Hawkmoth sends his most powerful akumatized victim yet and Ladybug is severely injured. What happens next? I don't own the characters of Miraculous Ladybug.
1. The Fight

A loud whirring, almost like an airplane that's about to crash, invades my ears. I dodge the giant fist headed towards me, back flipping into a small grove of trees. The faint scents of lilac and tree bark invade my nostrils, and my body relaxes.

The whirring gets louder. My stomach drops as I look up. A flaming cigarette is plummeting out of the sky, right above my temporary sanctuary.

'Oooh crap.' There's no time to dodge. I brace myself, but before the bomb makes contact with the ground, a familiar pair of leather-clad arms grab my waist. I twist around and wrap my arms around my partner's neck, holding on tight.

Chat Noir soars through the air, landing on a nearby building just before the bomb explodes. For a moment, our faces are bathed in red and orange light as we watch dirt and trees fly through the sky. The shockwave is enough to make my ears ring and skin tingle, but Chat had managed to clear the blast zone in time.

Chat sets me down, a light blush dusting his face as we scan the area. Massive craters litter the streets and fires rage in empty store fronts. Vehicles are crushed, buildings are collapsed, and the laughter of the current akuma victim echoes around the streets.

I turn from the destruction and force a smile onto my face. Chat does the same, but our pained smiles quickly fade as we stare at each other.

"Nice save." Chat smirks.

"I know. There's no way I'd let My Lady perish in something as trivial as an explosion. We're going to go down swinging in a blaze of glory, like all heroes should." I giggle. Chat laughs with me, but winces. I scan his body for injuries.

"Are you okay?" Chat opens his mouth, probably to come up with an excuse, but I glare at him. "None of that Chaton, we can't afford to hide our injuries." Chat sighs.

"Fine. My ribs are pretty bruised, but I don't think they're broken. Other than that, I'm fine. What about you?" He squints at me.

'He's probably trying to see if I'm hurt. I still don't understand how he can be so concerned about me when his ribs are bruised. They must be pretty bad if he's showing any signs of pain.'

"I'm fine, Chaton. I took a hard hit to the head, but I'm sure it's not a concussion. I only have a few scrapes and bruises." Chat's ears flick back.

'He doesn't believe me.'

"Come on Chat, do you really think-" An explosion shakes the building we're standing on. I shake my head. "Come on, we have to find a place to recuperate." Chat grabs my hand.

"I know where we can go. I found it on my way here."

I nod. Chat takes off, and I stay close. We jump over rooftops, nothing can be heard except for our footsteps pounding on the concrete and distant explosions. Soon enough, Chat leads us to the heart of Paris.

We stop on the roof of a factory, crouching behind a smokestack. The akuma victim is lumbering around, seemingly content with destroying everything in sight. I turn to Chat.

"It's a good thing we evacuated the city." He nods in agreement. "What did I miss while I was gone?"

Chat leans against the smokestack. "His name is Evan Quake. He calls himself 'The Smoker.' One of his friends was near the school trying to get him to calm down, but Evan wouldn't listen. I managed to get her out of trouble before The Smoker could injure her. Apparently, Evan was a teacher there, but was fired when he was caught smoking on school grounds. The woman wasn't there when he was akumatized, but she told me to look for an ashtray or a lighter on his costume. The akuma might be hiding in one of them.

When the akuma possessed him, this guy gained a lot of powers; super strength, a hulk-like body, even his senses were increased. We can't even sneak up on him. The Smoker throws bombs shaped like cigarettes, and they have a blast zone of about one hundred feet. This guy is by far the most powerful akuma we've ever faced."

I nod. "My report isn't much better. I managed to evacuate most of Paris, but a few people refused to leave their homes. A lot of our city is completely destroyed, I'm not sure if Lucky Charm is powerful enough to fix the damage. The police are creating barricades to keeps The Smoker out if we fail to stop him." Chat shivers at the prospect.

"We can't let this guy escape Paris. He'll easily break through the barricades. We need a plan." We fall silent.

'We can't sneak up on him, so a surprise attack is out. Getting too close would be a disaster, if one of us took a direct hit its over. Lighters and ashtrays would be tiny against his body, so we'll need to get up close and personal with The Smoker regardless of super strength. Unless...'

"Chat, where's the nearest tourist shop?"

"Um, right across the street, why?"

"We need a pair of binoculars." Chat gives me his signature smirk.

"On it." He swings away. The Smoker throws another bomb, and I throw myself to the ground. Concrete flies above my head. I peer around the smokestack and gulp.

The Smoker has gotten closer to my hiding spot, and I still, holding my breath.

'Why didn't I ask if we were out of hearing range! God, Marinette, you're so stupid!' A clawed finger taps my shoulder. I whirl around, glaring at Chat. He has a finger placed on his lips, and begins to move away from The Smoker. I follow, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Chat stops and turns around. "One pair of binoculars for the most beautiful girl in Paris." He bows and hands me the binoculars. I slap his hand away.

"What took you so long?"

"I left a note." Chat clears his throat. "Dear store owner, I'm pawsitively sorry, but my beautiful partner and I were in dire need of a pair of binoculars. We assure you that we're not cat burglars, and that our crime was for a good cause. Love, Chat Noir." I laugh again.

"Oh, stop it with the puns, Chaton." I try to fight the smile forming on my face, but Chat spots it. He grins and I turn to face The Smoker.

I adjust the settings on the binoculars. A lump forms in my throat as I scan The Smoker's body.

'Nothing. Where is it...' I gasp. A purple and black lighter is hanging from the akuma's belt. I grab Chat's arm.

"Chat, I found it! The lighter is hanging on his belt." A plan begins to form in my mind. "You distract him head on, but be careful. A direct hit from him could be the end of you." Chat nods. "I'll use Lucky Charm to dislodge the lighter from his belt. If I'm too far away, grab the lighter and throw it to me. From there, I'll destroy the akuma and attempt to fix the city." Chat smiles.

"Alright M'Lady! I'll try my best, but how about I get a kiss for good luck?" Chat puckers his lips and leans towards me.

"Not now Kitty!" I push his face away with my pointer finger. "We have work to do!"

"Fine," Chat sighs. "I'll see you soon LB." He winks and jumps away. Suddenly, my stomach lurches. My hand jerks out and I grab Chat's tail. He turns around, tilting his head.

"Chat," I hesitate. "Just be careful, okay?" I lean forward and peck his cheek. He turns bright red.

"When haven't I been careful?" Chat grins, flicks his tail, and jumps away. I blush.

'What the heck did I just do!? I mean, it's not like Chat isn't attractive, and funny, and...' I shake my head. 'What am I doing? Battle first, feelings later!'

"I have a bad feeling about this," I stand, get out my yo-yo, and swing towards The Smoker. I get into position, taking care not to make too much noise.

BAM!

I gasp as The Smoker throws Chat into a store window. Chat rolls over, groaning, and The Smoker begins to laugh. He jumps around, clearly performing some type of victory dance.

'Well, at least he has a giant ego. If we get lucky, he won't notice me until it's too late.'

"Lucky Charm!" I whisper into my hand. Instantly, a red and black object falls into my palm. I glance down and gasp.

'A Swiss Army knife! This can easily cut through that flimsy belt. Now, how do I get close enough to cut the lighter off?'

I look around. I spot an open canopy from a store front and grin. Several curses erupt from The Smoker. My head whips up. Chat had managed to get up and begin to fight The Smoker again. I smile.

"That's my Kitty," I jump off of the roof and onto the canopy. I bounce and throw the knife. It cuts through the belt and dislodges the lighter. It falls to the ground.

"Chat! Get the lighter!" I crash into the ground head first. Black spots erupt in my vision. My ears begin to ring, and I force myself to stand. Chat grabs the lighter and throws it at me. I fumble with it for a second, but I manage to snap it over my knee before The Smoker can throw another bomb or attack us.

I fall to my knees. The ground sways as I grab my yo-yo and purify the butterfly. I watch it float away, but my vision is blurry. My stomach lurches as I put my head in my hands.

I hear footsteps running towards me, but they're muted. Chat is shouting my name, but I can't move. Groaning and snapping sounds come from above, but I can't move my head to look. Something extremely heavy lands on top of me. I scream as concrete and metal pierce my body.

Chat shouts my name, but my eyes slip shut.

"LADYBUG!!"


	2. Injuries and Death

"LADYBUG!"

Bile rises in my throat as I sprint towards Ladybug. She looks up, and for a brief second, we make eye contact. The building tips over and collides with her body. Tears fill my eyes as my Lady's beautiful face contorts into a blood curdling scream.

I scan the area, desperately searching for help.

'Ugh, it's no use! All of the paramedics have already evacuated the city! We don't have enough time to retrieve them. The only person even here is that guy dressed in that creepy costume- wait.'

Red coats my vision. Hawkmoth is slinking towards Ladybug with a victorious grin on his face. His gang of purple butterflies flutter around him, creating a barrier around his body.

I growl and force my legs to go faster. Hawkmoth turns and waves. He reaches Ladybug's body and kicks her head. My hands clench into fists as he bends down to take her miraculous.

"At last, the Ladybug miraculous is mine!"

I scream and launch myself through the air. Hawkmoth freezes and I pin him into the ground. Fear flashes in his eyes, but confidence quickly replaces it. Hawkmoth begins to laugh.

"You wouldn't kill me, Chat Noir. Throughout my time as a super villain, I've discovered something. You and your precious partner have a no kill policy. You've never once hurt any of my victims unless it was absolutely necessary.

Why is that? Is it because you're scared? Or is it because you don't want any blood on your hands? You know, if you kill me, you'll become just as bad as me. You're not a superhero, you're just a scared little boy who wants to act fierce in front of your girlfriend. You might want to check on her, I can see the life leaving her body as I speak-"

"Cataclysm!" I raise my hand and grin as black power surrounds me. My eyes glow as I bring my hand down. I scrape along Hawkmoth's chest. Instantly, rot forms on the open wound. Black goop leaks from the gouges in the place of blood.

Hawkmoth's back rises from the ground. He screams and writhes. Foam leaks from his open mouth and his pupils shrink to the size of needle points. I stare into his eyes.

"Th-this isn't the end of m-me, Ch-chat Noir. I'll get my revenge s-some day."

Instantly, I jump off of Hawkmoth's convulsing body. I stare at my hands in horror as I recall the rush of euphoria I got when I ripped a hole in Hawkmoth's chest. I back away and begin to tremble.

'Oh my god, I just killed Hawkmoth... and I liked it! What have I done? Maybe he's still alive, I should go and check on him... No, NO! He's dead, and it's my fault. God, Hawkmoth was right, I'm just a scared little boy playing dress up...'

A groan startles me out of my thoughts. 'Oh, crap! Ladybug!'

I stumble over to her body and collapse next to her. My ribs groan in protest, but I ignore the pain. Frantically, I scan her body, taking in the damage. I sob, finally letting my tears go.

The lower half of her body is completely buried by the remains of the building that had fallen on her. Her head is oozing with blood from a large gash on the back of her head. I brush my fingers over the injury, and wince when I pull them back covered in blood.

'Okay, so she probably has a concussion, possibly brain damage, but there's no way to tell the extent of the damage to the rest of her body. I don't even know if she's alive... A pulse! Get it together, Adrien, you need to feel for a pulse!'

Gently, I grab her arm and place my trembling fingers onto her wrist. One second passes. Two. Three... Nothing.

"Come on, come on! You can't die on me yet, M'Lady! Who will I tell my cat puns to? I need you, please don't be dead!"

Another second of silence. Suddenly, a faint pulse emerges from her wrist. I sob as relief rushes through my veins.

"Don't worry LB, I'll get you out of here in no time."

I jump up and shuffle over to the rubble covering her body. I grab a slab of concrete and pull. Jagged edges cut into my leather gloves. My feet slide against the road as I wrench the concrete off of my partner. My chest heaves as I greedily take in air.

'One down, about a hundred more to go.'

Slowly but surely I pull piece after piece of building away from Ladybug. My ribs groan under the pressure, but I forge on. Finally, the vibrant red of her suit shines through the rubble.

I brush the remaining debris away, taking care not to look at her injuries. Her breaths are shallow, but any breathing is good right now. I carefully gather her into my arms, bridal style.

We stumble away from the building and collapse under the canopy of a nearby store. I try to ignore the blood soaking into my suit. I shuffle around and lean against a lamppost. Eventually, I settle Ladybug onto my lap, but despite my best efforts, she still cries out in her sleep.

I stare at her body and cringe. Her costume is soaked with her blood and ripped in several places. Bones stick out of her legs. A small metal pole is imbedded in her stomach, and several pieces of shrapnel have impaled her abdomen.

My body is numb. Scratch that, everything is numb. I stare at the ruins of my home.

A small beep cuts through the silence. I glance at my ring. Three paw prints blink back at me.

'That's not me, I still have three minutes left.' I crane my neck and freeze when I spot Ladybug's earrings. 'Two spots left. Ladybug is going to go back to her civilian self in two minutes.

What do I do? M'Lady has made it pretty clear that she doesn't want me to know her identity, but if I leave her to get help, something could happen! She'd be completely defenseless against any threats.'

Another beep. I look at my ring.

'Two minutes. If I don't leave now, it'll take forever to retrieve the paramedics. Oh, screw it! Ladybug is getting worse, she needs help now!'

A final beep cuts through the air. I whip my head down. One spot remains on Ladybug's earrings.


	3. Identities Revealed

'Nonononono, this can't be happening! This is not what I meant when I said that I wanted to know Ladybug's true identity!'

I push her body off of me and jump into the air. My breathing speeds up as I spin around and prepare to leave.

I pause as a hand pulls me back. I gasp and turn around. Ladybug is gripping my hand like a life-line. Her bluebell eyes glisten with unshed tears. Her dark blue hair had been ripped out of its normal pigtails and was spread out around her like a halo. The only part of her suit that was completely intact was her mask.

She opens her mouth. "Stay..."

I nod and sit down next to her. We stare into each other's eyes. She squeezes my hand.

"It'll be okay, Mon Chaton," I laugh.

"God, even when you're on death's door you're still comforting me. Have you ever even heard of self preservation?" She grins, but the smile fades.

"Are you ready to find out who I really am Chat Noir?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing comes out. 'No, of course I'm not ready. This wasn't how this was supposed to go! We were supposed to build our trust, possibly fall in love, and reveal our true selfs to each other on a special occasion, not when you're dying in my arms!'

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Ladybug's body begins to shimmer. Her costume slowly disappears, and a flash of pink light reveals a very familiar pink and black outfit. I pale.

'No... it can't be you. You're supposed to be safe and sound with the other evacuated citizens!'

My eyes travel up her body and stop at her face. Her mask had not yet faded away, but I needed to see her face. We make eye contact, and as her mask fades away she finally lets the tears fall.

I gasp. An achingly familiar face stares at me. A face I've seen every day, a face that I consider a close friend and possibly a small crush.

"Marinette?" I whisper in shock.

"Surprised?" she croaked, smiling slightly and staring into my eyes.

"Well-" the color drained from Marinette's face. Her arm shakily moved to point directly behind me.

I barely heard Marinette scream my name, and completely missed the small beep my miraculous made signaling that I only had one minute left as Chat Noir. The only thing that I could see was the sharp end of a sword protruding from my chest. Pain completely overrides my system. I scream.

Behind me Hawkmoth stumbles away from the hilt of his sword, cackling maniacally.

"I told you that I would get my revenge Chat Noir!" Hawkmoth stumbles away, never to be seen again.

I rip the sword out of my chest and fall onto my back. Marinette moves to lie next to me. She grips my hand.

"So this is the end, huh?" Sarcasm lines her words. "I never thought it would end like this." I nod in agreement.

"The sword is a surprise." Marinette laughs.

My miraculous beeps again, and my suit disappears, leaving my alter ego, Adrien Agreste, in its stead. I can feel Plagg nuzzling into my neck, and I can only assume that Marinette's kawami is doing the same. She whistles.

"Goddamn, this really is one big clusterfuck, isn't it? We've been in a love square with ourselves for years!" I tap Marinette's shoulder. She turns her head to look at me.

"Since this is obviously the end, I want to get something off of my chest. There's so much that I want to say to you, so much that I want to do. I wanted to become your boyfriend, get married and have kids. I wanted to grow old with you and watch the sunset together. We won't be able to have that in this life, but hopefully you'll spend eternity in the afterlife with me." Tears cascade down our faces.

"I feel the same way. I love you, Adrien. Soon we'll be together again."

I move my head to brush Marinette's chapped lips with my own. The kiss lasted for less than a second before my energy ran out and my head fell back to the ground. We press our foreheads together as our breathing slowed. My eyes slipped shut as a bright light encases our bodies.

"Goodbye..."


	4. Epilogue

The residents of Paris slowly filed back into their destroyed city. They had seen everything, many news channels had abandoned cameras at the scene, and they were still rolling.

To say that they were shocked would be an understatement. Not only had their beloved heroes' identities finally been revealed, they had also died right before their eyes.

Alya was one of the first people on the scene. She pocketed her phone and sprinted right to Marinette. Alya fell to her knees, took one look at her broken body, and broke down.

Through her tears Alya could see that the people of Paris had gathered around Marinette and Adrien's bodies. She could see Marinette's parents sobbing in the front and Adriens's receptionist standing stoically next to him. Most of the people in the crowd were crying, and some were just standing there with blank expressions on their faces.

A firm hand rested on her shoulder. She jerked her head up and saw Nino standing behind her. He looked into her eyes and Alya saw her pain and sadness reflected in Nino's eyes.

She couldn't take it anymore. Alya quickly stood, wrapped her arms around Nino and cried into his shoulder. He just stood there and let her cry, nothing could be said that would ease the pain.

Three Days Later

The place where Marinette and Adrien were put to rest was beautiful. It was on a high hill in the outskirts of Paris. They were buried under the loving arms of a strong willow tree. The hill was overlooking Paris so the young heroes could forever look over the city they had sworn to protect.

The sun was setting. The mixture of reds, oranges, pinks, and golds was stunning, almost as if the sky was honoring the couple.

Anyone who happened to be walking by the graves at the time would've seen a peculiar sight. Two figures dressed in white robes were floating above the graves; a girl with blue hair and bluebell eyes and a boy with blonde hair and emerald eyes. They were holding hands and watching the sunset for the final time.


	5. IMPORTANT

THIS STORY IS UNDERGOING MASSIVE EDITING!! A LOT OF THINGS ARE ABOUT TO CHANGE!!

Once I publish the new version, please comment if you like this version more than the original.


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